Written Answers Wednesday 20 August 2008

Scottish Executive

Energy

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to expand and improve locally-based energy generation projects.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the provision of locally-based energy generated in Scotland.

  We have tripled funding support for community and microgeneration projects for the next three years.

  In June we launched an £18.8 million Climate Challenge Fund with the aim of supporting communities across Scotland to take action to reduce emissions. Communities are already coming forward under this scheme to seek support for feasibility studies and capacity building activity to support renewable energy projects.

  Later this year we will seek views on how to increase locally-based energy generation as part of our draft framework for the development and deployment of renewable energy in Scotland. That document will set out a wide range of proposals, including, a draft action plan for renewable heat, and measures to support locally-based community renewable projects. We will also issue an action plan on energy efficiency and microgeneration in the near future.

Energy

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to introduce a local energy production policy.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government believes that an increase in local energy generation can help us achieve our energy and climate change targets and provide benefits for communities.

  We will shortly consult on a draft framework for the development and deployment of renewable energy in Scotland. This will seek views on how to promote distributed energy systems, which includes the more efficient generation of both electricity and heat at the household and community scale using renewables and other low carbon energy sources.

  In the area of building standards, we are taking forward recommendations from the Sullivan Report for research to find ways to encourage low carbon local energy centres.

Energy

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what range of technologies ministers regard as necessary for coal-fired power stations to be considered as clean coal stations.

Jim Mather: There are a range of potential technologies, some of which are still in development, that can reduce emissions, such as carbon capture, supercritical boilers, or flue gas desulphurisation. The package of energy and climate change directives being negotiated by the European Union will drive the development of necessary technologies to reduce emissions associated with burning coal.

  We will shortly be consulting on guidance in relation to consent for construction of thermal power stations, and this will seek views on requirements in respect of emissions reduction.

Energy

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of (a) carbon emissions and (b) sulphur and other pollutants ministers would regard as acceptable for coal-fired power stations to be considered as clean coal stations.

Jim Mather: Levels of carbon emissions, sulphur and other pollutants from coal-fired power stations are strictly regulated by EU emissions and air quality legislation. The European Union is currently negotiating its Climate and Energy package, which includes new and revised directives on Carbon Capture and Storage, the Emissions Trading Scheme and industrial emissions.

  These new directives will set the framework for what levels of emissions will be considered acceptable from coal-fired power stations in future to meet the EU’s agreed target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020.

Energy

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how much investment in clean coal technologies ministers plan to make (a) in the current financial year and (b) during the current spending review period.

Jim Mather: Investment in clean coal technologies in Scotland is largely a matter for the private sector promoted by regulation in relation to carbon emissions. However, financial support is required for demonstration of carbon capture and storage and we have urged the UK Government to move quickly in that respect.

  In the current financial year, the Scottish Government has contributed £75,000 to the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage towards the Scottish carbon capture and storage (CCS) joint study, which will identify storage sites for carbon captured from future thermal power stations, as well as addressing transportational and economic issues. This supports funding from a range of private sector partners.

  Scottish Enterprise has awarded R&D Plus funding support of £2.84 million over the current spending review period to Doosan Babcock for the creation of a research centre specialising in research into clean coal and CCS technologies. This funding was announced on 1 July.

  In addition, we are currently further developing the business plan for the Scottish European Green Energy Centre, which will foster research and commercialisation opportunities for Scottish universities and industry including in clean coal technologies.

Energy

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of electricity generation capacity ministers expect to be delivered by coal by 2020.

Jim Mather: The composition of Scotland’s future electricity generation will be dependent on a number of factors, including relative cost of fuels, requirements in relation to carbon emissions and related investment decisions made by the private sector. Therefore, we do not have a specific prediction for coal-based generation.

  It will be for the industry to bring forward proposals for new or replacement capacity, and Scottish ministers will consider each on its merits under our consenting powers in the Electricity Act 1989. We will be consulting shortly on new guidance for applications for consent to construct thermal power generation.

Energy

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact would be on carbon emissions if coal-fired generation capacity were replaced by equivalent renewable capacity.

Jim Mather: It is likely that thermal baseload, utilising carbon reducing technology, will be required into the future to help meet security of supply objectives.

  If fitted with carbon capture and storage equipment, estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are that emissions from coal-fired generation would fall by up to 90%.

  Where renewable energy replaces thermal generation without carbon capture and storage, a significant reduction in carbon emissions may also be expected.

Energy

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers expect carbon capture and storage technologies to be ready for use in Scotland.

Jim Mather: The current Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) competition being run by the UK Government sets a deadline of 2014 for the chosen project to be operational on a commercial scale. We are hopeful that a Scottish based project will win that competition.

  We are also playing an enabling role to assist the development of CCS more generally such as funding research into identifying future carbon stores and participating in the UK Energy Bill’s provisions on carbon storage.

  We believe that all of this work will ensure that CCS technologies will be ready for deployment in Scotland at the earliest possible opportunity.

Enterprise

Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to ensure that engagement with providers of business advice and support, such as Business Gateway and local enterprise agencies, is maximised among ethnic minorities.

Jim Mather: The management of the Business Gateway contracts has been transferred to local authorities, and the service will be extended to the Highland and Islands Enterprise area. The role being given to local government will ensure a more responsive, accessible and joined-up business development service which will not only increase the number of people setting up in business, including those from ethnic minorities, but will also ensure that business support is more accessible and focused at a local level.

  The enterprise networks will focus on supporting investment and innovation by companies and sectors that have growth potential and are of national or regional significance.

Enterprise

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13128 by Jim Mather on 3 June 2008, when it expects discussions between it and COSLA on the distribution of funding to individual local authorities in respect of the transfer of local regeneration functions out of Scottish Enterprise to be concluded.

Jim Mather: Further discussions with COSLA on the distribution of funding to individual local authorities are expected to be held during the next few weeks and before the end of September 2008.

Local Government Finance

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it was made aware that Aberdeen City Council’s budget cuts were to be in the region of £49.7 million.

John Swinney: The scale and seriousness of the financial problem faced by Aberdeen City Council have been apparent to all since the Accounts Commission report was published in May 2008. This has clearly built up over a number of years. I have made clear from the outset and on a number of occasions that it will be up to the council to address the issue and that this must be the first priority of all those involved.

  The council now has a recovery programme in place and is being supported to deliver the programme by COSLA which has established an External Support Panel of leading elected members and senior officers in local government. However, the steps which the council takes to resolve its financial position must ultimately be a matter for it and it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

Local Income Tax

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether offshore oil and gas workers whose usual place of employment is an offshore oil and gas installation in the UK continental shelf will be liable for the proposed local income tax.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether offshore oil and gas workers whose usual place of employment is an offshore oil and gas installation in the UK continental shelf but who reside outside the United Kingdom will be liable for the proposed local income tax.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether offshore oil and gas workers who reside elsewhere in the United Kingdom but also have accommodation in Scotland will be liable for the proposed local income tax.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether offshore oil and gas workers who reside outside the United Kingdom but also have accommodation in Scotland will be liable for the proposed local income tax.

John Swinney: The government’s consultation on a Fairer Local Tax for Scotland formally closed on Friday 18 July. Section 1 of this document describes in broad terms our proposals on liability and residence. We will now analyse all responses that we have received on this and other aspects of our proposals, and subsequently bring to the Parliament more detailed proposals based on consideration of that analysis.

Lottery Funding

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its projection is of the lottery funds that may be available for distribution in Scotland by the Big Lottery Fund, sportscotland, the Scottish Arts Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund in each of the next five financial years.

John Swinney: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for National Lottery funding. Projection of lottery funds is a matter for the lottery distribution bodies: Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Screen, sportscotland, Big Lottery Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Public Bodies

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has allocated to cross-border public authorities as listed in Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 1319 The Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Specification) Order 1999 in each year since 2002, broken down by authority.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has allocated funding to the following cross-border authorities since 2002:

  

 
2002-03
(£000)
2003-04
(£000)
2004-05
(£000)
2005-06
(£000)
2006-07
(£000)
2007-08
(£000)
2008-09
(£000)


British Library Board
6
10
15
30
32
18
-


British Waterways Scotland
11,901
14,740
14,000
13,211
15,704
12,653
2,790


Community Development Foundation
59
41
311
330
353
409
26


Joint Nature Conservation Committee
1,622
1,651
1,731
1,817
1,805
1,738
-


Scottish Consumer Council
1,087
569
753
979
1,732
1,874
827


Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
82
205
270
356
254
766
-



  In addition to the funding detailed above, payments are, and have been, made to a number of the cross-border authorities listed in the Statutory Instrument for services provided.

Public Sector

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) reviews, (b) consultations, (c) inquiries, (d) taskforces, (e) expert groups and panels and (f) discussion documents have been initiated in each cabinet secretary’s portfolio area since May 2007 and what the costs of each category have been.

John Swinney: The information requested could only be obtained in full at disproportionate cost. However, a wide range of information on reviews, consultations, inquiries, taskforces, expert groups/panels, and discussion documents is routinely published on the Scottish Government website.

Public Sector

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new public sector (a) directorates, (b) advisory units, (c) inspectorates, (d) agencies, (e) bodies, (f) groups, (g) committees, (h) commissions, (i) forums and (j) other quangos have been established since May 2007, including the name, purpose and set up and running costs of each.

John Swinney: The information requested could only be obtained in full at disproportionate cost. However, in October 2007, the Scottish Government published a baseline list of the 199 national public sector organisations in Scotland, which this Government has committed to reducing by 25% by 2011. This number has already reduced from 199 to 166. Further details on the organisations within this baseline list, including proposals to simplify the landscape can be found on the public bodies pages of the Scottish Government website.

Public Sector

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been undertaken in relation to the preparation of disaster recovery and business continuity plans for each of its departments and agencies.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has a well established set of disaster recovery and business continuity plans (BCP), which are kept under constant review. These plans are being revised in the light of recent internal restructuring of the organisation. In addition, the Scottish Government Strategic Board has endorsed a refreshed business continuity planning policy and the Government’s centralised continuity plans are also being reviewed. As part of the programme of continual review, the strategic board has also agreed that the government’s Scottish Resilience Unit should invite directorates and agencies to undertake a self-evaluation of policy areas which contribute (or could contribute) to the long-term development of resilience policy, which will take cognizance of the guidance offered by the National Resilience Planning Assumptions (NRPAs) developed by the UK Cabinet Office in partnership with devolved government.

  At a UK level, Cabinet Office is currently reviewing the way in which the new BCP (BS 25999) standard is to be treated within the civil service, in consultation with other branches of government, including the Scottish Government.

Royal Mail

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken in the last year to (a) place its business with the Royal Mail and (b) encourage the use of post offices.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government continues to use the Royal Mail for its mail services. Officials meet regularly with representatives of Royal Mail to discuss a range of issues covering service provision.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9304 on 19 February 2008. Postal services are a matter wholly reserved to the UK Government, therefore the Scottish Government’s powers to provide direct support to the Post Office network are extremely limited. Nevertheless, the Scottish Government continues to seek ways to add value.

  A number of meetings have taken place between ministers and officials with representatives of Royal Mail Group and Post Office Limited. These meetings primarily dealt with the Network Change Programme and alternative methods of delivering postal services (outreach services), with the aim of ensuring that sustainable business models underpin the Post Office branches that remain after the current Network Change programme is completed.

  In addition, ministers have continued to encourage all Community Planning Partners, particularly local authorities, to consider the opportunities to promote their services alongside local Post Offices to aid their viability.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Scottish Government

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of its mail was despatched by (a) the Royal Mail and (b) other carriers in the last year.

John Swinney: Over the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 the Scottish Government despatched mail to the value of £439,146. This is broken down as follows:

  (a) Royal Mail – 585,106 items at a cost of £283,509

  (b) Other Carriers – 21,548 items at a cost of £155,637.

Scottish Government Buildings

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken in the last year to replace traditional light bulbs with low energy bulbs in each building for which it is responsible and what its current estimate is of the number of bulbs which are low energy in the total estate.

John Swinney: Throughout the estate general lighting is provided by modern fluorescent tube type fittings. A small number of traditional bulbs, less than 1% of the total, are used within desk task lights and some period light fittings.

Scottish Government Car Service

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its officials are provided with chauffeur-driven cars for official business and what the total cost of such car usage was in the 2007-08 financial year.

John Swinney: The officials entitled to use the Government Car Service (GCS) are the Permanent Secretary, the Scottish Government’s six Directors-General and HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMCIC).

  Costs are not available as GCS provides cars to ministers and senior officials on a pooled basis, rather than through individually allocated cars, and does not apportion costs between its core customers.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints there have been in each of its directorates and agencies of (a) race discrimination, (b) gender discrimination and (c) harassment in the last year.

John Swinney: There were two complaints under the Scottish Government’s Dignity at Work policy in 2007, one each in Directorates in the Justice and Communities and Education portfolios respectively, and one so far in 2008 in a Directorate in the Finance and Sustainable Growth portfolio. All of these complaints related to allegations of bullying and harassment. Of these three cases, one case is still on-going, one was withdrawn to allow mediation to take place and one found there was no case to answer. There were no complaints about race discrimination or gender discrimination in 2007 and there have been none in 2008 to date.

  In line with its Dignity at Work policy, the Scottish Government takes all complaints of this nature seriously and strives to ensure that all staff have the opportunity to work in an environment where they feel safe and secure and are not subject to unacceptable behaviour.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its civil servants were seconded to commercial or industrial forums and how many people were seconded to it from commerce and industry in the last year.

John Swinney: In the last year, three people have been seconded to private sector organisations by the Scottish Government. In the same period eight people have been seconded from private sector organisations to the Scottish Government.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its female employees receive lower pay than male colleagues of comparable age, length of service and qualifications.

John Swinney: It is not possible to produce the requested information as no central record is kept of the qualifications of staff.

  The pay structure in the Scottish Government comprises nine pay ranges. The factors which are used to determine the salary for each member of staff are their performance, the pay range for their post, and length of time spent in that pay range.